I am a philatelist rather than a naval historian and am looking for some help.

Kurt Trenkmann is listed as one of the survivors of the sinking of the Bismarck. He was detained as a POW first in the UK, then Canada and finally again in the UK before being returned to Germany. He wrote frequently to his family in Kiel from the various POW camps. I recently obtained some of his letters and cards including one from British POW Camp Number 8 dated 08/06/41 only 12 days after the sinking. This may be the first he sent to Germany.

I do not read or speak German and am looking for some help. I would be happy to post a pdf of the contents of this letter if someone could try and translate it.

Some other information would also be interesting if it is known.

By 01/01/1941 Trenkmann was sending mail from British Military Hospital 4 - I am guessing he was a patient but is that correct

Were the Bismarck survivors sent to Canada in one group on one ship and if so which ship and when.

From what I have found they would have been returned to the UK on different dates but is there any record of when Trenkmann was returned to the UK and also to Germany.

There are official de-briefing documents from the interrogation of the Bismarck survivors by naval intelligence which may assist you. I do have some of these documents in PDF however this particular individual is not highlighted. Because no senior officers were captured there was little of practical use that was gained by the intelligence services, although it did present a view of the ''lower deck'' of the KM that was not particulary good.

The first survivors left Greenock on December 21st 1941 (3rd transport) aboard MORITON BAY and reached Camp 23 in Monteith early January. The second transport of Bismarck survivors (4th transport) left Greenock aboard RANGITIKI on March 27th and reached Camp 23 April 9th 1942. There was anoth transport (5th) in June, but as I understand it without Bismarck survivors.

Regards

Marc

"Thank God we blow up and sink more easily." (unknown officer from HMS Norfolk)

Trenkmann must have crossed to Canada on the RANGITIKI as I have one card Trenkmann sent from British Military Hospital number 4 which he dates the 8th February 1942 although there are no dated postmarks on it.

I also have a letter from Camp 23 in Canada dated by Trenkmann 18th April 1942 with a Canadian BASE A.P.O. postmark dated 20th April 1942. So only the RANGITIKI fits.

I will have to hope I can get some of these cards and letters translated and see if that sheds any more information.

Do you have any info on the return of prisoners. He was still in Canada on the 1st January 1946 but was in the UK on the 16th May 1946.

Another possibility is to contact Malte Gaack. Mr. Gaack published 3 excellent books about the Bismarck Crew by now. I checked my copies, but couldn't find Trenkmann, whose story should be part of Volume 3. Possibly Mr. Gaack has more information about what happend to the prisoners after the war in general.